Friday, November 21, 2008

If you have heard about the Nebraska Safe Harbor Act and the recent dumping of preteen and teen age children at hospitals in Nebraska, you need to see tonights show. From the outside looking in...you maybe thinking "what kind of parent could do this"?

If I hadn't been exposed to children with profound behavior problems I would just assume that the parents of these children were monster's. The truth is that these parents have tried all the psychology/therapy/pills/charts and redirection theories that social workers and state agencies have to offer. Nothing worked. They aren't millionaire's and cannot afford residential care. Even if they could afford it the intake process for residential care is so restrictive that a child would almost have to have committed murder before they would even be considered. The sad fact is that once the child has committed murder they are more likely to be tried as an adult and sent to prison where their brain damage/mental health issue's are left to fester and grow even worse.

What do you do with a child that is physically or sexually abusive to family members? Here in Washington State the only option is for the parents to terminate Parental Responsibility. From there the child is placed in foster care with all the dangers that holds. Then after a period of some months the child is placed on the open adoption lists. Of course with the new medical privacy laws in place an adoptive family may not find out the child is dangerous until after the adoption is finalized and by then the child is no longer the states problem. Which is what I believe is the states plan to begin with.

When will something be done about this problem? When will the medical community and social services get the fact that some children cannot live in a family situation?

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

For myself I really don't care but, my Mother in law wants to give the children gift certificates for the co-op store that she works in. The store is an eclectic mix of imported artwork and clothing items. Mother in law stocks imports from Central America. While I find the store mildly entertaining there isn't anything there the kids want. Isn't it all about the kids?

When I was their age I didn't so much care what was in the box as long as there was a box to open. What can you do with a gift card/certificate on Christmas morning? Then of course, the gift cards/certificates actually mean more work for the kids mom.

I can't help but feel like Mom in law is manipulating us as well. "I gave you gift certificates, now you have to spend time with me" as if we wouldn't spend time with her any way. 'Course her excuse is that she "just has no idea what to get the kids". That's easy, I could tell her what to get which I have done in the past.

Oh btw, Mom in law is quitting the store as of Dec 31. I can't help but think this is some hair brained scheme to unload her inventory. This is a long favored tradition with her. I remember she cleaned out her closets back when we first got married. We were stuck hauling all her cast offs to our house. I ended up disposing of it while dh was spending a year in Korea. Along with dh's size 13 Waffle Stompers. Ugh, never have missed those things.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Lewis Lizzard, an Alaska defense attorney, arrived home late, after a very tough day trying to get a stay of execution for a client who was due to be hanged for murder at midnight. His last minute plea for clemency to the governor had failed and he was feeling worn out and depressed.

As soon as he walked through the door at home, his wife started on him about, "What time of night to be getting home is this? Where have you been? Dinner is cold and I'm not reheating it." And on and on and on..

Too shattered to play his usual role in this familiar ritual, he went and poured himself a shot of whiskey and headed off for a long hot soak in the bathtub, pursued by the predictable sarcastic remarks as he dragged himself up the stairs.

While he was in the bath, the phone rang. His wife answered and was told that her husband's client, James Wright, had been granted a stay of execution after all and Wright would not be hanged tonight. Finally realizing what a terrible day her husband must have had, she decided to go upstairs and give him the good news.

As she opened the bathroom door, she was greeted by the sight of her husband, bent over naked, drying his legs and feet. "They're not hanging Wright tonight," she said.

To which he whirled around and screamed, "FOR THE LOVE OF HEAVEN, WOMAN, DON'T YOU EVER STOP?"

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

On Saturday last I took two girls from our local fraternal organization on a four hour drive for an official state officer visit. Both the Grand Bethel Honored Queen and Grand Bethel Guardian/Associate Guardian and their adult officers were in attendance. Along with Miss Washington Jobs Daughters.

We started out the evening with supper of soup and salad. Our choices were salmon chowder (yuck, I like my salmon grilled or baked by itself thank you), split pea and jobie stew. The later being made out of naughty jobie's.

On to the meeting. The HQ did a great job of running the mtg and of course as with any official visit the bulk of the evening was spent on escorts, introductions and honors. Being a Past Honored Queen, I get escorted and introduced. Not tooting my horn here, just splainin' for people that do not know that part of my history.

After the mtg we piled back in the car for the drive to our accommodations for the night. I was almost there when I discovered that I had left my coat at the mtg place. Doh. out hosts had to turn around and go back for it. I felt so silly.

On the way home we stopped at an outlet mall and I bought two new formal dresses for the 10 year old. She can't wait to wear them, would wear them to school if she thought she could get out the door with one of them on.

Next weekend is the sorority ( attended by Jobs Daughters, DeMolay,Rainbow and several other fraternal groups) ball. She really wants to go to that but, she has to clean her room first and I don't see a lot of progress. We will see. If she does go I expect to her to sit on the side lines watching. She's 10 for gosh sakes. She'd be to shy to dance. She can if she wants to tho, there will be plenty of chaperone's there I won't worry.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

I'll be waiting for my Big Rock Candy Mountain.

On a summer day in the month of May a burly bum came hikingDown a shady lane through the sugar cane, he was looking for his liking.As he roamed along he sang a song of the land of milk and honeyWhere a bum can stay for many a day, and he won't need any money

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

There's a lake of gin we can both jump in, and the handouts grow on bushesIn the new-mown hay we can sleep all day, and the bars all have free lunchesWhere the mail train stops and there ain't no cops, and the folks are tender-heartedWhere you never change your socks and you never throw rocks,And your hair is never parted

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

Oh, a farmer and his son, they were on the run, to the hay field they were boundingSaid the bum to the son, "Why don't you come to the big rock candy mountains?"So the very next day they hiked away, the mileposts they were countingBut they never arrived at the lemonade tide, on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

Oh the buzzin' of the bees in the cigarette trees near the soda water fountain,At the lemonade springs where the bluebird sings on the Big Rock Candy Mountains

One evening as the sun went down and the jungle fires were burning,Down the track came a hobo hiking, and he said "Boys, I'm not turning." "I'm heading for a land that's far away beside the crystal fountains;""So come with me, we'll go and see the Big Rock Candy Mountains."

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, there's a land that's fair and bright,The handouts grow on bushes and you sleep out every nightWhere the boxcars all are empty and the sun shines every dayOn the birds and the bees and the cigarete trees,The lemonade springs where the bluebird singsIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, all the cops have wooden legsAnd the bulldogs all have rubber teeth and the hens lay soft-boiled eggsThe farmer's trees are full of fruit and the barns are full of hayOh I'm bound to go where there ain't no snowWhere the rain don't fall, the wind don't blowIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains, you never change your socksAnd little streams of alcohol come a-trickling down the rocksThe brakemen have to tip their hats and the railroad bulls are blindThere's a lake of stew and of whiskey tooAnd you can paddle all around 'em in a big canoeIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains the jails are made of tin,And you can walk right out again as soon as you are inThere ain't no short-handled shovels, no axes, saws or picks,I'm a-goin' to stay where you sleep all dayWhere they hung the jerk that invented workIn the Big Rock Candy Mountains